Medbay

A medical bay, or medbay, is a room or section of a vessel (such as a starship) for caring for the sick and injured on board.

Design

The size and layout of a medical bay depends on the craft and needs of its crew and passengers. For example, a small ship designed for relatively short interplanetary journeys may have only a single chamber with basic medical equipment, while a starship may have a multi-room facility with a variety of specialized equipment and sophisticated life-support systems.

Sensory & Appearance

Like any medical environment, the medbay of a ship or space station is typically clean and sterile.

Special Properties

Depending on the craft on which it is located, a medical bay may operate some or all of the time in zero-gravity. This necessitates certain precautions, such as tethers to keep objects and patients from floating away, bolting down whatever doesn't need to be moved, and special protocols for dealing with fluids and spills, including bodily fluids.
Frequently, a ship's medbay (or a dedicated quarantine ward within one) will have separate air circulation from the rest of the ship, filtered of course, in order to prevent the spread of airborne pathogens.

In Cosmic Warrior Hua Mulan

When she entered the medical bay, she was quickly filled with dread. It looked like the scene of a catastrophe.

Show spoiler

During the Grid's assault on the Peacekeeper, Mulan receives a panicked transmission from Ailemìn—who, along with Corporal Shau, has been cornered by Gridbots in the medbay. When Mulan reaches the medbay, Shau is dead and Ai's helmet is broken—a death sentence, as the ship's hull has been breached and is depleting the ship of oxygen.
Despite the gravity of the situation, the irony of being killed in the medbay of all places is not lost on Ai.
As the next highest ranking member of her squad, Mulan received a battlefield promotion to Corporal while still in the medbay, to replace the fallen corporal.

Alternative Names

Medical bay

Type

Room, Ship, Sick bay